Cape Town - More than five murders a month have taken place in Khayelitsha since March, as the area continues to battle unprecedented violence.
Police Minister Bheki Cele, senior SAPS members and officials from the Department of Community Safety on Monday hosted an imbizo after five more people were killed in the area at the weekend.
Police have since launched an investigation after three men aged 34, 36, and 50 were killed on the corner of Nyebelele and Ntango streets in Site C on Saturday night.
Two men in their thirties were also shot and killed in Tutu Avenue, Harare, on that same night.
Cele said more resources needed to be deployed in Khayelitsha to curb the spate of mass shootings.
“Khayelitsha has been under attack recently and we are trying to work with everyone to find solutions to these attacks.
“Three months ago there were mass shootings here but there have been some achievements.
“There is some kind of extortion where people work with some individuals. But working with the community we can achieve a lot of things and I am glad that we have committed to work with the MEC,” said Cele.
Community Safety MEC Reagan Allen said that since March, 29 people have been murdered in Khayelitsha.
“It cannot be acceptable that to this day the SAPS in Khayelitsha and so many other areas across the Western Cape continue to be under-resourced.
“Khayelitsha’s police to population ratio is 1 officer for every 628 residents.
In Harare it is 1:879 and Lingelethu West, 1:664. The provincial average is 1:520, which is a far cry below the national average.”
Meanwhile, Gugulethu police officers are investigating a murder after a taxi driver was killed at the weekend.
Police spokesperson Wesley Twigg said the suspects fled the scene and are yet to be arrested.
“The circumstances surrounding a shooting incident Saturday afternoon at about 4.07pm in Lansdowne Road, Gugulethu, where an adult male was shot and fatally wounded are under investigation.
According to reports, Gugulethu police were called to the crime scene where they found the victim with gunshot wounds to the head and neck.
The victim was declared dead on the scene by paramedics.
A murder case was registered for investigation. The motive for the murder is yet to be established,” said Twigg.
Gugulethu community activist Lamla Mngcitha said the issue of taxi shootings needed intervention from the government.
Anyone with information can anonymously contact Crime Stop at 08600 10111 or SMS Crime Line at 32211.
Cape Times